


What We Could Be

by FlashDriver



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Don't worry, F/M, Minor Injuries, no in depth description though, slight blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 08:17:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20945213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlashDriver/pseuds/FlashDriver
Summary: A dire situation causes Blaze's mind to drift. The lines between platonic companionship and romance are blurred as a certain silver hedgehog has to tend her wounds.





	What We Could Be

This wasn't the first time Blaze had found herself in this position and it certainly wouldn't be the last. She was sitting on a dusty old bed, to be specific; she was sat in the medical room with a large gash on her collar while Silver was panicking, trying to help her. The hedgehog was rummaging through boxes, upturning medical kits and scrounging whatever equipment he thought might be useful for treating her. The feline had taken a hit trying to defend him, flaming bats had rushed the pair and Silver had been ill-prepared to defend himself. Leaping into the fray was always dangerous but when given the choice between an injured Silver and the dull throbbing she felt in her shoulder, Blaze would always chose the hedgehog's safety.

He'd already gathered a basin of water, a basin she'd submerged her hand in and began to boil, but that clearly wasn't enough to sate him. Medical supplies, for the most part, have shelf-lives, antiseptic creams harden into sludge and pain killers lose their effect, so living in the post-apocalypse meant none of these aids were available. They were lucky to have water even and, to be honest, Blaze though using it to clean her wound was a waste. But he'd been insistent,

She didn't think the wound was even that deep, the bone hadn't broken and it wasn't as though there was much risk of infection; Iblis' monsters were made of fire, the wounds they left practically disinfected themselves. Her injury did, admittedly, look bad though. Blood had reached down to stain the hem of her leggings, stretching across the entire right side of her body to do so. The wound itself was quite large too, it was still obscured by her jacket but the gash stretched from near her shoulder to the midpoint between it and her heart. Blaze understood why he was acting like this, of course she did, but she was anxious about what was to come. He was going overboard and she knew what he was like when he went overboard. As memories of past injures flashed in her mind, Blaze felt her cheeks grow a little redder.

The hedgehog finally rose from his mess, sweaty and clearly dissatisfied. He'd managed to find a few rolls of bandages, a box of plasters and some clothing pins but not the stitching equipment he'd (assumedly) been hoping for. He set the goods down beside her, took another look at her wound and tensed up again.

"Relax Silver, I told you, it only hurts a little," She chided, trying to quell his concern.

"I know, but it looks like it hurts a lot..." Worry still emanated from him, weaselling its way to her core, "You can still move your arm, right?"

Repeating the motion she'd already showed him a few times, Blaze reached out with her right arm and took his hand. Well, in this case she reached out and took the bandages from him. He still didn't look convinced but she knew he wouldn't be until she was fully healed. The sooner she tended herself, the sooner they'd both be able to relax.

"I'll be fine, thank you Silver," She, fruitlessly, attempted to reassure him.

"It's no problem," He smiled, closing what little gap remained between them, "I'll patch you up and then start on dinner."

Of course he wanted to help with bandaging, her temperature rose even higher, "Just go make dinner, I'll do it myself."

"Blaze, it's on your collar. You can't see it properly, let alone bandage it," He, not incorrectly, surmised and suggested.

The feline turned away, refusing to let him sway her, "I can reach it fine Silver, it's not like it's on my back."

"It's okay, I'll be gentle; I promise!" He swore, entirely genuine.

That was the problem though, Blaze knew just how gentle he'd be, "You're making a fuss Silver, I said I could handle it myself so I'll handle it myself."

"I mean... if you're certain..." He wasn't convinced but Blaze knew he wouldn't fight her, "Just call if you need me, I'll wait outside, okay?"

"I won't," From her periphery vision, Blaze saw his face fall, "But if I do, I'll call for you," That didn't feel like enough, her mouth was still filled with words, "I-I promise."

His face brightened, just a little; a smile crept onto his lips, "Alright, if you're really sure," His hand came to pluck at his chest fur, accidentally taunting her, "I'm so glad you're okay, I was so worried..."

"If I wasn't, I know you'd look after me," What was she even saying, it was all so embarrassing, her words felt like sludge in her mouth, "I know I can count on you."

Another smile flew her way, before he made his exit Silver shifted a basin onto the bed beside her. Water was such a rarity here, they'd spend days scouring houses to secure such small amounts and even then they had to boil and purify it, make sure it was safe to drink. Blaze knew it was for safety's sake but wasting a whole basin on such a small wound seemed like a waste. He was willing to spend this much to keep her safe and comfortable. She removed her gloves and cupped her hands, submerging them to gather a drink. It was only as she finished her handful that a thought occurred to her. He probably wouldn't have drank before gathering their water, he could be so stupidly selfless. Blaze cupped her hands again, acquiring more water, but this time held her hands to him. Despite the effort, she couldn't hold his gaze.

"H-Here, we shouldn't let it all go to waste. We'll have to collect more in the morning," She'd insisted rather than ask him, as she so commonly did when she felt embarrassed.

Blaze felt his hands on her wrists before, far sooner than she'd expected, she felt his chin brush against his fingertips. Heat spread up her cheeks and onto her ears. In hindsight, she should have just suggested that he take a drink from the basin; she'd simply been too distracted to think rationally, too flighty about his attempts to help her. The hedgehog seemed to take an eternity drinking despite the volume she'd gathered being quite small. The moment he finished her hands returned to the bed, scrunching up the duvet in the contact's wake.

"N-Next time just take some for yourself," What was she even saying? Couldn't she keep herself from chastising him, even just this once? She'd offered him a drink and he'd taken it, it wasn't as if he'd asked to drink from her hands, "You shouldn't dehydrate just because I'm a little hurt."

"I know, I'd just rather make sure that you're safe before worrying about myself," His heart shined, firmly attached to his sleeve, "You're important to me."

"You're so naive," She grumbled, "Go make dinner, I'll be through as soon as I can."

"Just call if you need me," He insisted one last time, "I'll come as quickly as I can."

With that, Silver finally stepped out of the room, Blaze unleashed a sigh as silence claimed her surroundings. The world suddenly felt a lot colder, she immediately missed the light of his eyes and tender energy. Well, the sooner this was done the sooner they could return to normalcy; the sooner they'd be reunited her heart would stop beating so fast.

She began to disrobe, unzipping her jacket to around her midriff and allowing it to fall from her shoulders. Blaze's view of her injury had improved but, admittedly, Silver had been right. Her wound (well, the blood and scabbing that hid her wound) was mostly visible but she couldn't see its entirety. The injury stretched from the edge of her white underbelly upwards and onto her purple fur. That point was beyond clear visibility, if the actual wound stretched that far then she'd really struggle. She'd have to be thorough and broad with her cleaning, otherwise she'd risk missing a spot.

The cloth was quickly rung out; Blaze winced as it made first contact. She scraped down, what she perceived to be, the entire length of her wound in an effort to clean out any residual fluff or grime that had gathered in the gash. Some of her jacket had surely been clawed into her and, though they'd been quick, training had taken them to the far side of the city. Soot hung in the air and on every building, Silver had flown them back but he couldn't have deflected it all. Drawing the rag into her vision, Blaze saw plumes of purple fabric, black speckles and the orange-red hue of watery blood spreading throughout the white mesh. She'd reopened her wound; it throbbed and stung almost as though it were fresh.

Cleaning the cloth and ringing it dry, Blaze couldn't help but let her brows sink down and her teeth clench as she braced to wash more. What little she could see had been soaked but it was hard to remove staining from her underbelly. Even ignoring the red colouration, black speckles and dark purple strings surround the injured site. The feline refused to give up though, resuming and enduring as she cleaned.

She knew that she was being too heavy-handed with herself, pushing blindly in an attempt to thoroughly clean her wound, but it was all she really knew how to do. The feline was tough on herself, she always had been, but she knew someone who wasn't. It was so embarrassing though, she couldn't have sent Silver away more than ten minutes ago; the hedgehog had likely started to make dinner. Blaze returned her cloth to her shoulder again but winced and hissed at the contact, trying to do this blindly had been foolish. Diluted blood was starting to stain her hands; she rinsed the cloth again but the water was starting to darken. At this rate she'd actually waste it all.

Blaze tried to regain some modesty, pulling her jacket up as far as it would allow, but the fluff of her white underbelly had to stay partially exposed. With some effort, Blaze managed to hide everything beyond her right oxter. She cupped a hand to her mouth and turned to the door.

"Silver?" She barely shouted, still much too embarrassed.

Despite her quietness, he immediately responded, "Do you need help Blaze?"

A sigh escaped her throat and her cheeks puffed up, "...Y-Yes."

The white hedgehog quickly returned to the room, as his eyes fell upon her the feline couldn't look at him. He was being so casual, far more bothered by her injury than her state of mild undress.

"I-It's a little more sensitive than I thought, do you think you could..." She held out the cloth to him, Silver took it without a second thought.

"I promised to be gentle," He gently reminded her, leaning down, "Let me know if it hurts, okay?"

Blaze could only manage a nod in response, prying her gaze from him and towards the ceiling, "Just... do it, please."

Silver seemed to immediately find a patch that she'd missed, evidently the stain stretched far further than she'd anticipated. Lukewarm water was rubbed into the fur of her neck, it didn't hurt but it did hammer home just how foolish it was to try and bandage herself alone. This had been inevitable.

The wound still ached from her scrubbing but Silver's touch was like silk. No matter how critical she was of herself, no matter how rough, Silver would find a way to be gentle. He was cleaning around the edges first, diligently wiping away what remained of her dried blood before slowly working his way inwards. His right hand came to gently hold her back, it was to help him accurately yet softly tend her but it certainly stoked the flames of her embarrassment. By the time he'd started to work on the wound, having rung out the towel no more than three times, Blaze could feel herself sweating.

Moments like this were difficult; they reminded her of what was and what could be. As his hands gently caressed her fur, intent not only on cleaning her wound but making her comfortable, Blaze found her mind drifting. He was so close, leant down yet still a little over a head taller than her. Her fists balled against the sheets; if she were braver, she'd pull him closer here and now, envelop him in her arms and properly thank him for helping her. But she wasn't brave enough, let alone gentle enough to commit to such an act.

Blaze pried her eyes from him but the bare blue walls of the medical-room couldn't pull her attention away from him, come to think of it; nothing in their makeshift-house could. Nowadays home was a small Youth Hostel near the city centre, its yellow and blue paintwork had started to crack but the building itself was in good condition. The doors were thick and heavy, making them much easier to barricade, and (with the exception of the living room) their current home had no windows. Of course, being a hostel, the building had plenty of rooms; while they currently sat in the makeshift infirmary they'd also constructed a pantry, a washroom and a library. You'd think that they'd each have their own bedroom and thus their own beds but, for reasons Blaze didn't dare admit, the feline slept better whenever she lay with the hedgehog.

That last thought was making it even more difficult to look at him yet, simultaneously, much more difficult not to. She caught his ear out of the corner of her eye; his quills were still in their bedraggled, post-battle, state. Maybe she'd find the nerve to neaten them later but, for now, Blaze stomach was bouncing around and her mind was racing to catch it. She was trying her hardest to ignore him, to let him do his job but Blaze found herself sneaking nigh constant glances at the hedgehog. Something about the way he was holding her, despite the nature of his task, was almost... comforting. She didn't want to admit it, but Blaze was almost enjoying this.

It was a strange kind of comfort, almost sick or sadistic. Her wound was still throbbing but that feeling was being muffled by mere juvenile infatuation. It was childish, foolish and entirely preposterous; they were partners, companions even; they cared for the other more than they cared for themselves. This wasn't supposed to be intimate; Silver was dressing her wounds, he'd before and he surely would again. Hell, she'd done it before and she'd undoubtedly do it again; it was normal, typical. Yet, as she caught his eyes worriedly flickering between her eyes and her injury, Blaze couldn't deny that there was a tension between them.

No matter how she pleaded with herself, Blaze couldn't crush the fluttering in her chest. He was always so gentle with her; he'd display his softer side without fear or hesitation if it'd make her just a little more comfortable. The hedgehog tried to be tough, he wanted to be so much stronger than he was, but when they weren't fighting Silver's true nature rose to the surface. He was many things, irrationally dedicated, loyal to a fault, quick to trust and incredibly naive, but at his core the psychic was kind-hearted and caring. Fixing the world wasn't about him; of course he wanted to see a blue sky but he wanted that for everyone, he wanted everyone to have hope and be able to live peacefully. He wanted her to live peacefully and to be safe; he'd always stressed that.

Blaze had tried her hardest to avoid dissecting her feelings, fearing their analysis might expose her to some further forbidden knowledge, but when he tended to her like this she fully understood. He made her feel cared for in a world where one should only care for themselves, his contact told her that she cared about him far more than she felt she could tell him and, most importantly, his gentle endeavours made Blaze wish she was gentler. Silver made her wish she could convey what she felt even if she couldn't speak it.

She couldn't help chiding him whenever her feelings grew too strong; she so often claimed that he was naive but that claim came from her own inexperienced. No matter how often he showed her his softer side, Blaze struggled to manifest her own. The feline knew that her heart wasn't made of stone, her stomach wouldn't be doing backflips if she was uncaring, but whenever these feelings flared up it was as though she'd been petrified.

"Blaze?" His words cut through her thoughts and pulled her back to reality, "Am I hurting you? You feel a little tense..."

Silver had hesitated; his hands were still on her shoulders. Contact like this was practically sacred in this city of hell, so unfathomably rare and cherished above all else. People weren't meant to hold each other like this, let alone look after each other like this. Her heart wasn't meant to be beating like this.

The feline turned away, a sigh slipping her lips as she struggled to blow off his worry, "You're not, you're doing..." Now was a chance to return his kindness, even if she couldn't look him in the eye she had to say something, "Fine."

As that word escaped from Blaze's lips, her self-loathing came to a head. Who was she kidding, she couldn't return-

His hands suddenly shifted, his fingers had caught her chin and gently turned her to look back at him, "I know you're strong but you feel pain just like everyone else does. If this hurts then I'll try to find another way, I don't want to hurt you."

"Silver..." Even while he was being so tender, the hedgehog was scared he was being too harsh while he was being so gentle. His fingers didn't leave her face, their prior position was already too intimate; contact like this was just too much. Blaze felt the warmth in her chest explode onto her face, "Y-You're doing fine, Silver! You're not hurting me at all, just..." She scrambled for the right words, "I'm still not used to such a delicate touch. Th-Thank you."

"It's no problem Blaze, I'm just looking after you like you look after me," He beamed, not remotely understanding. Well, it wasn't like she was being obvious.

"You're so naive," She'd built up enough strength to turn away, again pushing aside his hand. Despite that shift, her eyes still feel upon him, "If there's an issue I-I'll say, I promise."

"Thank you," A small smile managed to crawl across his lips but his eyes were still clearly concerned. His hand lowered from as he returned to cleaning her, "You're my partner, just like you're supposed to look after me, it's my job to look after you. If I'm hurting you then I'm doing it wrong."

He'd stressed their partnership again; the kinship she currently held in her grasp and fearfully longed to tear to shreds. From the scraps of their bond something greater might grow but, in truth, Blaze was scared the effort would fail. If she lost him then she would have nothing, this old building wasn't her home; Silver was home. He was safety, he was warmth, he was tenderness and all that the world seemed to lack; he was everything that she struggled to be yet he made her long to be those things.

His fingers were plying at her collarbone again; he'd finished wiping her gash and moved on to bandaging. From her awkward position, now that the blood was cleared, Blaze found that she had been correct; the actual wound couldn't be much longer than her middle finger. It was an awkward position to wrap though, both because it was finicky and because of the nature of that location. There was no getting around it; this endeavour was just as intimate.

It wasn't as though he hadn't seen her like this before, partially disrobed and bashful, they lived together and tended each other after all. There was just something in the air tonight, a pressure she couldn't help assuming that he didn't feel. The pressure began to push purrs from her chest but she quickly smothered them. Well, she tried to smother them.

He decided to wrap upward, beneath her armpit and around her collarbone, leaning in closer still as he bound around her back. She could smell the day's battle on him, sweat and smoke was such a common scent to her but it still drew her full attention. Oftentimes their aroma would overlap, they'd lie together and their scents would be jumbled, but in moments like this he was distinct to her. His chest fur caught her eyes as he leaned in, knotted and dirtied. She'd often catch herself playing with it as they were drifting off, undoing the tugs in it and softening that patch until it was fully smooth. Bringing it this close was almost taunting her, he was being so gentle; caressing that patch was the ideal way to return the favour.

Yet her hands refused to leave the bed, it was as though they'd turned to stone and locked her in place. When he finished his gentle task she still hadn't acted, she'd completely failed. Once again, he'd been so tender with her while she could only sit and watch.

"Is it comfortable?" Silver innocently asked, seemingly unaware of the turmoil inside her head.

Blaze managed to roll her shoulder, "Yes, thank you Silver," Her vision fell to the carpet, "I'm sorry that I worried you. I should have let you help from the start."

"You were looking out for me Blaze, you got hurt defending me, I should be thanking you," The pyrokinetic couldn't help thinking that his smile looked warmer than any fire she could conjure and yet, still, her hands refused to leave the mattress. She couldn't reach out and hug him, "I'll go start on dinner; you get some rest, okay?"

"I'm fine Silver, really," She tried to insist but her heart was weak to his big yellow eyes. He had such sway over her, he didn't even know it, "But alright."

He smiled at her one last time and turned to make his way out of the room, granting her a full view of something she'd entirely missed. There was a wound on the small of Silver's back. He was hurt too.

Her hands were torn from the bed, she spoke without hesitation, "Silver, you're injured. What happened?"

"Huh? I am?" The hedgehog half turned to her, stopping in his tracks.

"There's a cut on your back," She quickly informed him, pointing, "Does it hurt?"

"I don't even feel it, am I bleeding?" Silver blinked, blindly patting his back in search of the scab and trying to look over his shoulder.

Well, he wasn't quite bleeding but he clearly had been at some point. The graze had been small enough to close on its own, likely staunched by his fur, but Blaze could see the aftermath. There was a red splotch in his fur and a, small, crusty line where he had been cut. The mark couldn't be longer than her pinky and it couldn't be wider than her thumb but it'd given Blaze an opening. This was her chance to return his kindness!

"How naive, babying me while you were injured," No! That wasn't right, that wasn't good enough! She had to be gentle with him, "S-Sit down!" She practically growled at him.

Despite her idiocy, Silver did as was asked of him. He sat beside her on the bed, facing her as if she'd asked reasonably, "Does it look bad? I really can't feel it."

"Give me a moment," She shuffled back, shifting near the centre of the bed and behind him.

Now freed from his embarrassing gaze, Blaze managed a small sigh. It was no wonder she hadn't noticed before; his quills were a mess, the back pair had frayed very badly and was masking the first two-thirds of his back. She reached out, easing them aside and revealing his back. Even now that it was revealed, Blaze couldn't determine the size of his wound. If it was from today then it had occurred early on in their training session; the blood had dried and affixed to his fur, making a mixture of rusty-orange and black stain in his fur. If the mark was that big then the wound had to be smaller, it likely bordered on being insignificant, but...

"I can't tell how big it is. I'm going to clean it off," Blaze decided, determined to return at least a fraction of his affection, "If this stings just say."

"Oh, alright. Thank you Blaze," He responded, still entirely unaware, "Does it look bad?"

"I think you're fine, I just..." She couldn't bring herself to admit her irrational actions, "Want to make sure, it's better to be safe than sorry."

She swore there was a smile on the edge of his muzzle, her eyes quickly flickered to the bedsheets as she blindly fumbled her way to the basin. Finding the cloth, she rang it dry as she tried to steady herself. Now that she'd started there was no stopping; she had to tend him just like he had tended her.

Her free hand, her left hand, found his shoulder; her forearm pushed his quills aside. She tried to keep her grasp gentle, first dabbing around the stain's edge before slowly working her way inward. It wouldn't take much to wash away the blood and dirt, he hadn't bled that much. Unsure whether she was or would hurt him, unwilling to cause him even the slightest pain, Blaze found herself being reflexively tender. That wasn't to say she wasn't trying to be gentle of course, every movement was wipe and swab was calculated, but this was an unnatural tenderness. It didn't take long for her left hand to drift. Without a word she let it slip down to hold his collarbone. Her fingertips found themselves in the scruff of his fur, gently swirling that excess fluffiness before taking a stronger grip.

It didn't take long to clean him up (Blaze, admittedly, spent longer washing his back than she really needed to) and reveal his injury. The cut was tiny, no longer than the tip of her thumb and only half as wide. To her, it looked more like he'd tripped and hit his back on something than had it sliced by one of Iblis' minions. It wouldn't take long to heal; as long as they managed to eat he'd be fine.

What was she going to do next though? Could she really justify plastering such a tiny wound? Was this the end of her gentleness? The fluttering in her chest didn't want it to be, she didn't want it to be. She hadn't proved nearly enough. If it was a waste, then it would be a purposeful one.

"Pass me the bandages," She finally managed to ask but she couldn't bring herself to lie, "It looks fine but I want to keep you safe. I won't let it get infected."

Even though she'd managed to be gentle, her bedside manner was still atrocious; it sounded like she was reprimanding him. Regardless of that though, Silver complied; a roll of bandages was passed over his shoulders and she caught sight of his face. His eyes were still so bright and his expression was so very gentle, a small smile that read as a thank you for helping him... not that there was actually all that much to help with. Still, it made her successful effort feel that little bit more special and gave her a drive to excel at this pointless endeavour.

As he turned back around though, she realised how long they'd held eye contact. Her blush returned, she caught her tail to keep it from lashing and couldn't help but curse beneath her breath. He wasn't feeling any of this, she was almost sure of it. She had to be gentle, she had to be intimate and she had to show that she cared. Blaze bit her lip, unrolled the bandage and prepared to work.

His fur was so inviting. As Blaze considered the length she needed, she couldn't help but draw closer and change their position ever so slightly. Rather than kneel behind him, Blaze allowed her thighs to part and her knees to shift just beyond his behind; if she so desired, she could pull him backwards and into a hug. Well, she did desire that, it was a matter of whether she could act on that desire. The intent of this position was to look over his shoulder and at her work, to knot the bandages properly (or so she told herself). Curiously though, this change in her position did prompt a change in Silver's disposition. As she drew close, her warm breath likely reaching him, she watched as his shoulders stiffened and swore she saw him half-glance back at her.

Trying not to dwell on that change for too long, the feline got comfortable and stretched the bandage to its correct length; long enough to be taught around his centre but not uncomfortably tight. The bandage was placed over the tiny scab and her hands found his hips. She leaned in, bringing her head to hang over his shoulder, and granting her a full view of his body. Blaze didn't dare look at his face, the distance couldn't be more than a handful of centimetres. Instead, she focused on gently fulfilling her task; the end of the roll in one hand and the roll itself in the other.

The backs of her fingers gently glided through his fur, bringing the white fabric with them. His fluff was soft to the touch, deserving of all the delicacy Blaze could muster. With as gentle a hand as she could manage, she began to bind his body. The bandage looped around his midsection, her fingertips dragged through his fur and (far faster than she'd hoped) the bandage looped its way around his body. Well, she still had more than enough length of bandage; Blaze opted to circle his body a second time. She aimed a little higher this time, drawing the linen half-over the initial line and allowing it to cross his belly again. This world was so rough but everything about him was soft, his fur was far from immaculate but she couldn't help loving the feeling of his overgrown fluff dragging against her silky fur. Whenever her fingers passed over a scar, new or old, she took a moment to pause atop it and gently caress it with her fingertips. He had so many but she knew them all so well.

Throughout the entire endeavour, it was as though Silver was frozen. His breath had hitched, she felt his body tense as her arms wrapped around him and her fingers danced through his fur. He had to be feeling what she so often felt; she hoped he'd realised how much she cherished him.

Two bindings were all she could justify though, any more than that and he'd surely notice her stalling. Well, maybe not but she'd already wasted far too many materials on a very insignificant injury. With a swipe of her claws the roll was cut, Blaze began to securely bind the bandage but tried to keep a light hand while doing so. The material was fastened near his right hip, a gentle tug made sure the dressing was properly tight.

Swaddling him had been fun, she felt that she'd shown some gentleness at the very least, but something about it all felt anticlimactic. The feline remained behind him, pulling back and allowing her fingers to trace around the rim of the gauze and arrive at the small of his back once again. Her gaze finally returned to his quills, they were still so unkempt.

Before Blaze could question what she was doing, her hands had left his back and found their way to his quills. She didn't have a brush to hand but that didn't seem to stop her, her fingers found the base of his quills and she began to stroke them back into their proper places. Her impromptu grooming seemed to surprise him, she felt a shiver run down his spine, but he held still and allowed her to do as he pleased. Eventually, as she found herself leaning into her work, Blaze couldn't help noticing that a pink hue had climbed to the tip of his ears and that his tail was slowly wagging. It was relaxing, the more she tended him the easier this all seemed. There wasn't some grand transformation in her demeanour, it wasn't as though Blaze was no longer herself, she was simply... relaxed. Hidden from his eyes, working quietly, she'd managed to achieve a gentleness she'd never thought possible. It wasn't as much as she'd hoped but it was an undeniable start; it was reactionary gentleness.

A clawed hand drifted down to find the hedgehog's chest fur, that soft fluff deserved to be groomed just as his quills did. She leaned further forward, burying her forehead against the back of his head. Words accidentally spiralled from her lips, "If you won't take better care of yourself then I will. You deserve the same tenderness that you show me..." Purrs were bubbling from her chest again, her hands stopped moving as she came to simply hold him. She sighed and honesty floated to the surface, "You deserve a lot more than I can give you..."

There was a pause but, before she could think of anything else to say, she felt his hand reach up to hold the back of hers, "Y-Y-You..." His stutter seemed to surprise him more than it did her. She felt him swallow, "You look after me and I'll look after you. Do as much as you can and I'll do the same. You're doing more than enough, Blaze. Th-Thank you."

Maybe she'd manage to do this again, maybe next time she'd managed to get across her true feelings. Blaze wasn't willing to gable on maybes, not yet at least, but seeing she could be so tender had gone a long way. Perhaps there was hope for her yet. Perhaps one day she'd managed to channel that kindness into something more but, for now, she was just happy to be holding him in her arms; successfully transmitting her affection. It'd cost some blood, a few pints of water and some bandages, but it'd all been worth it to feel him tense beneath her soft touch. She loved to make him feel how he made her feel.


End file.
